


Admirable Interstella

by JustAndrea



Category: Wander Over Yonder
Genre: F/M, Gen, May/December Relationship, One-Sided Attraction, because WoY has interesting minor characters and I love writing about them, references to 'The Loose Screw' and 'The End of the Galaxy', totally focused on minor characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 08:01:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9225857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAndrea/pseuds/JustAndrea
Summary: “Miss Starbella, you are a delight!” If he hadn’t been a fan of hers before, he certainly was now. Although, when he really thought about it, maybe he wasn’t just a fan…





	

**Author's Note:**

> ((Sooo, did anyone else sorta get the feeling while watching ‘The Loose Screw’ that the King of Sherblorg 7 was sorta crushing on Stella? …Anyway, this was just a small, kinda random idea I had and, hey, you know how much I love writing about minor WoY characters. So, enjoy! ^v^))

_“Why, hello there!” Immediately straightening a bit at the voice, he quickly turned around - and there she was._

_She was wearing a poofy, white bathrobe instead of her usual outfit, but that didn’t make her any less recognizable. She still had that same pretty pink hair in an up-do, the same old cat by her side, and the same warm smile that continued to be unaffected by any fatigue she might have felt because of her age._

_He couldn’t help but smile, adjusting his glasses a bit before giving a small nod. “A pleasure to see you again, Miss Starbella! …Or, well, it’s mostly a pleasure, given the situation…” Though, he was glad that she had been able to remained uncaptured (not that it was really much of a surprise, but still)._

_Stella nodded, her eyes softening a bit. “It’s glad to see that you’re safe as well, dearie. I take it the rest of your people flew to a different galaxies.”_

_He nodded again. That was what most of the other leaders and royals had commanded their people to do, after all - or at least, that’s what he had heard from the leaders that were there and that he had briefly talked to. Some rulers, like Bingleborp, still had their planets. Though, the more pessimistic part of him told him that it was only a matter of time…_

_“Well, I’m glad they’re safe.” Her smile finally fell a bit, and the elder heroine gave a small scoff. “Honestly if I could, I would just go after that Dominator myself!” But, unfortunately, as strong as Stella still was, she didn’t exactly have the same speed or firepower that she used to, and she was wise enough not to go starting a fight that she couldn’t win._

_“You may still get a chance,” the King told her, in an attempt to cheer her up, “From what I’ve heard from Wander and Sylvia, they’re going to try and gather up as many people as they can here, and then they’re going to think of a plan involving all of us. And, maybe together…” Maybe together, they actually stood a chance._

_Stella gave a hum, turning her attention to her pilot for a moment as he laid down on the ground with a small huff. “Well, if that is what they’re planning, then they can definitely count me in,” she told him as she started to pet the cat. Mittens gave a low purr, leaning towards her hand slightly despite an unimpressed expression still on his face._

_The king smiled a bit. “They’d be lucky to have you help them.” After a moment, he forced himself to add, “And, I’ll help too. Er, with the plan I mean.” As terrified as he was as Dominator, it seemed like the least he could do. Still, he was sure that Stella could see the fear on his face, but she still continued to smile at him without judgement._

_The two of them became quiet as the rest of the people in the hidden cave continued their personal conversations, each of them trying to catch up with old friends, or perhaps even make new friends, while trying to keep their minds off their destroyed homes._

_“…Actually,” the Sherblorg king started to say, adjusting his glasses again, “I was one of the first people here. So… So if you want, I could give you a tour of the cave and the island.” He glanced away slightly, towards the back of the cave where Sylvia and a few of the other strong people there were digging so there could be more room for all of them. “Of course, there isn’t much to show, really… But-”  
_

_He felt a hand on one of his arms, and he looked back towards her. “That would be lovely,” Stella told him, patting his wrist before looping her arm around his, “Lead the way!”_

_The king blinked, looking almost shocked before his expression became one of what could almost be described as glee, and with that he started to lead her towards the front of the secret hideaway._

_“…Oh, and by the way. Call me, Stella.”  
_

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

The throne room - along with the rest of his planet - was quiet. One could even call it peaceful. Most of the citizens were relaxing, taking a much-needed day off from reconstruction. Even the castle guards were taking it easy, not having much of a reason to be cautious of any threats (and reasonably so, given how many villains were either defeated or now ‘retired’). But, even with his planet’s peaceful atmosphere, he still found himself stiff in his throne as he waited, each minute almost seeming slower than the last…

To be fair, he did try to relax a little as he sat there and waited. Unfortunately, every time he managed to succeed for a moment or two, his mind would just remind him of who was visiting that day, and any progress he had made would be gone, though he didn’t mind this too much. Really, it was his own fault… Even after all the time they had spent together, just the thought of seeing her again thrilled him - and with good reason too! At least, that’s what he thought.

Out of all the newly-formed planets out there, he still couldn’t really believe that Sherblorg 7 - _his_ Sherblorg - was the one she kept visiting. That _he_ was the one ruler that she considered good company. But while part of him was in disbelief, another part of him just _soared_ whenever he thought about it. Whenever he thought about her…

Outside one of the castle windows, there was the sound of an old ship screeching to a halt, its engine puttering slightly for just a moment before stabilizing. As soon as he heard it, the King of Sherblorg 7 rose from his throne and hopped towards the front door, already grinning as his heart thumped like a moon-rabbit’s.

“Hello again, dear,” Stella greeted as soon as he opened the door. She was wearing a simple pink dress with a white cardigan over it, and she had a container of homemade chocolate chip cookies in her hands. Just thinking about the delicious treats made the king’s stomach growl.

“It’s nice to see you again too, Stella. But you really don’t have to bring cookies every time you come over. As delicious as they are, I really don’t want to be a bother-”

“Oh hush,” she told him as she stepped inside, waving his concerns away with her hand, “It’s no trouble at all!” After a moment, she gave a small smirk. “Although if you really want to, you could make us some tea to go with them.”

“Of course,” the king nodded, and he quickly hopped towards the kitchen to make some milk tea (Stella’s favorite) while the heroine made her way towards the royal sitting area. Even after not visiting for a couple weeks, the coffee table still held their playing cards and their unfinished game of checkers (so far, Stella was winning). 

It wasn’t long after she sat down on the plush, orange and brown plaid colored couch did the king return with their drinks. “Thank you,” Stella said, taking the cup, “I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this, but you’re one of the few people I know that can mix milk tea just right! Even Mittens can’t make a cup this good!”

She had told him this a couple times before, but the king still appreciated hearing the comment. “Thank you - though, it’s still not much compared to your baking.”

“Oh, you! Speaking of which-” She picked up the container and held it out to him. “Help yourself!” 

Stella certainly didn’t have to tell him twice. “Thanks!” The king eagerly took the plastic container, opened it up - and paused. …Heart-shaped… They were… heart-shaped? His face heated up slightly as his thin hands kept a tight grip on the container.

Thankfully, Stella didn’t notice his reaction much. She just gave a small chuckle as she took a cookie for herself. “Found some old cookie cutters of mine and I thought, why not have some fun? There should be a couple star and crescent shaped ones in there too, though those were so old and bent that they looked more like an angry arachnomorph. Say, did I ever tell you the time I had to fight Mandrake the Malpheasant off with my cookie cutters?”

“Huh? Oh, uh, no, I don’t think so.”

“Well, it all started on a moon about several lightyears away from here. Some diner was sponsoring a baking contest, and the best dessert would be added to their menu! Now, I’m not much for competition, but Mittens convinced me to give it a shot, just for the fun of it! And it’s a good thing I did, because Mandrake had a secret evil plot that involved magic cinnamon and a robot blender! Grop, you should’ve seen the size of it!”

As much as the King of Sherblorg 7 loved her stories, he still only managed to half-listen as Stella retold the event. Thankfully he was still able to catch the best parts and react to them accordingly, but for the most part, his mind was too focused on the hearts… The cookie hearts _and_ his own heart. _Am I really feeling this way? Does **she** feel this way? Oh, why would she? …Why would I? Why **am** I?_

These were the questions that continued running through the king’s mind, even as he tried to listen, even as they caught up with each other and talked and played simple yet still enjoyable table games together. If Stella noticed this at all, then she was choosing to say nothing, and if that was the case then the king was thankful that they could just continue on with a mostly normal visit despite his own thoughts.

“…Well,” Stella started to say with a slight sigh as the king gathered up their cards, shuffling them once more, “It’s been a couple hours, Baldwin. I should probably get going soon.” The king glanced up at her when he heard his name. Honestly he was so used to people just calling him King or King of Sherblorg 7 (perhaps it was subtle commentary from the rest of the galaxy on just how memorable he really was), but Stella always seemed to remember his name, even if she sometimes forgot other small details. 

“Oh. Well, if you need to go then, that’s fine,” He told her, unable to help but look a bit disappointed. 

Stella in return gave him a small smile, chuckling slightly. “Well now, I don’t really _need_ to go. I just didn’t want to take up all your free time today. I’m sure a king like you is busy enough as is.”

“Not exactly…” Baldwin replied, glancing away a bit as one of his arms rubbed the back of his neck, “Other than the occasional conquering attempt, things are pretty peaceful. I just have to make sure things don’t fall apart while everyone else is away. I mean, compared to what my brothers do on their planets-”

“Oh poo,” she interrupted, gently scolding him, “You’re still a king, aren’t you? It doesn’t matter what you do or what you rule, you’re a king - which means you’re important to at least some of the people here in one way or another. At the very least, you know how to get your planet help, and that’s something, isn’t it?”

Baldwin gave a small chuckle of his own. Considering that it had led to his planet being saved, and everything afterwards- “Heh, I guess so… And at least I was able to call the right person.” Stella’s smile grew, her eyes softening a bit as she once again placed her hand on his wrist. And of course, the king didn’t dare move his hand away. 

Unfortunately, despite neither of them really wanting to end such a pleasant visit, they also knew it couldn’t last forever. So, eventually, they left the sitting room and Baldwin led Stella to her ship, making sure to stay and watch it leave. “See you in a couple of weeks!” she had told him just before the doors had closed. The king knew he would be counting down the days.

The engine coughed and rattled for just a couple seconds before roaring to life. A moment of hesitation, and then- _WOOSH!_  It rocketed into the sky, becoming nothing more than a pink dot in seconds. And as he headed back into his castle, hopping down the long hall back towards his throne, Baldwin once again found himself alone with his thoughts… 

He vividly remembered being a fan of Starbella’s since he was a child, reading old stories about her daring rescues and brave fights in various magazines and newspapers that he had managed to find in some of Sherblorg’s libraries. It didn’t matter if he didn’t have new stories to read about her or if people called her ‘retired’, he still thought of her as one of the greatest heroes he had ever heard of! But with that admiration came the bitter realization that he would probably never get to meet her. That he’d never get the chance to, or that she would pass away before he found the opportunity to.

…Funny how the Universe works out sometimes, huh?

Physically, she had changed a lot from the woman he had seen in posters and photos. Shorter, older… but still recognizable. Honestly, who said that looking older was such an unattractive thing anyway? She still looked pretty to him. Though, her looks were hardly anything compared to how she had been able to save the day. Easily breaking out of her prison, using common objects as weapons, and of course doing it all with such confidence and skill! Needless to say, it had been _amazing!_

Had his experiences with Stella Starbella ended there, he would’ve still considered it a positive one, albeit far too short. But no, instead he had received and happily accepted many chances to talk with her and listen to her. He had gotten the chance to know the woman behind the old reputation she had earned in her younger years. …And, he supposed he couldn’t deny it any longer.

Not only had he admired and had gotten to know that woman, but along the way, he had ended up falling in love with her too.

“I guess it’s not too surprising,” Baldwin told himself, slowing down a bit, “even if it’s not exactly usual… But hey, what is that old saying? Age is just a number?” …Even so, he knew fully well that this realization would become no more than a personal secret. He may have been good enough to be her friend, and they did enjoy their afternoons together, but- “But I doubt she’d feel the same…” And there was no way he was going to risk his friendship just to find ou-

 _*clang!*_ Baldwin blinked, stopping completely now as his remaining thoughts were cut short. “What the…?” Was that… metal? What could someone be doing with metal? It could’ve been someone outside making repairs, but it had been so loud, there’s no way it couldn’t have come from inside the castle! But that still didn’t really answer the question of what they were doing… Gulping slightly, he started to move again, quickening his pace the best he could until he finally reached his throne room and peeked inside. 

…Needless to say, it was pretty easy to figure out where the metal sound had come from. From what he could see, there were at least four robots - simple in design yet fairly strong - wandering around the room, searching behind curtains and around various pieces of furniture. One of them was even breaking apart his throne, as if it were expecting its target to be hiding within it!

Giving a small squeak of fear, Baldwin started to back away - and almost instantly, a thin and calloused hand grabbed him, covering his mouth and muffling his scream while the other hand held him close.

“Ohhhh no you don’t, Sherblie-boy!” a familiar voice - quiet and rickety sounding yet still somewhat intimidating in its own right - told him, “You’re not getting away from me this time!”

()()()()()()()()()

_“Come on, you’ve gotta be tired of hearing me just drone on by now!”  
_

_“Not at all! Your stories are always great to listen to!” And it was even better to hear them directly from the source.  
_

_Stella smiled, though still gave him a bit of a look. “Heh, even so, I’m getting pretty tired of talking. So how about I take a break and give you a turn, hm? Go on, then. Tell me about yourself!”_

_The king’s smile almost immediately fell. “Oh, well…” he started to say, glancing down at his cup of coconut tea, “Compared to all the adventures you’ve had, there isn’t much to tell.”  
_

_“There has to be at least a few things,” Stella insisted.  
_

_“Well… Um, I like to read. And uh, and I have six brothers. All of them older, and… All of them left home pretty quickly. Sherblorg’s sort of an average place so, they all wanted to try and make their own kingdom, bigger and better than whatever they could have inherited, plus it would be expanding our families land. And, in the end, the main Sherblorg planet didn’t even seem like much anymore. The last one people thought about.” Maybe that was why he was eventually given it - because there wasn’t much to really give away, hence no real loss.  
_

_“It seemed like a nice planet, though,” Stella commented, trying to remember her brief stop there the best she could, “And apparently it was important enough for Mandrake to try and take it.” Though maybe he just thought it would be an easy conquering, but the king decided to keep this counterpoint to himself._

_“So what about stories? I’m sure everyone’s got at least a few.”  
_

_“Well…” He really doubted she would want to hear tales about him having to deal with six older brothers, or retellings of long diplomatic meetings with other kings. But… The way she looked at him, and the way she genuinely seemed interested and wanted to keep talking to him was enough encouragement for the king to keep trying. “…Actually, there was this one party - er, sort of party - that I went to a couple weeks after we first met?”  
_

_“Oh?” The elder heroine finished up her tea, and then directed all her attention to Baldwin. “Well then, I’m all ears.”  
_

_The king chuckled a bit, and after a moment, he started to tell her all about the prison-party that he would never forget, his enjoyment quickly overshadowing any awkwardness or nerves that might have been found in his words…_

()()()()()()()()()()

“Come on, come on! Just- _gak!_ \- J-Just put ‘im over there! Ugh, good fer nothin’- Don’t for- _*cough*_ Don’t- _*cough cough wheeze*_ forge- _*cough, gasp*_ t-to tie him to the chair!” 

The king’s hands were already bound together, and honestly someone as small and weak as him couldn’t really do much to try and escape, but the robots still obeyed their master’s commands and tied a thin yet strong rope around his waist and the chair he was now sitting in. A couple seconds later, the bag that was over his head was removed, and honestly Baldwin wasn’t sure which he was more relieved by: The fact that he could see where he was now, or that he didn’t have to suffer in the smell of smelly, old man laundry anymore. 

Glancing around at his surroundings, Baldwin found that it actually wasn’t too intimidating of a place. …In fact, from the looks of it, it almost looked like a room in a suburban house that was nice yet generic enough to be featured in a home and garden magazine, or even on a television sitcom. 

But even with his ‘prison’ not being nearly as bad as a dark ship or a giant hourglass, he still couldn’t help but feel nervous as four big robots surrounded him while Mandrake’s old glaring eyes bore into him like Dominator’s drill.

“Sooo, we meet again, Sherblorg King! Did- _*cough*_ D-Did you really think that _you_  could get away with ste- _*wheeze*_ w-with stealing my-!” He gasped, a coughing fit interrupting his words. 

Despite being confused, Baldwin waited patiently, trying to keep himself calm as the villain continued coughing and gagging. When the fit finally seemed to subside though, he took the chance to defend himself. “I didn’t steal anything from you! I promise!”

Mandrake growled. While the rest of his body wobbled and shook as he held on tightly to his magic staff to keep himself upright, his glare deepened, quickly reminding the king of the powerful villain Mandrake used to be. “Hmmm well, you’re technically right, Sherblie! You didn’t steal anything from me… Instead, you stole _someone!_ ”

The king blinked. “H-Huh-?”

Barring his teeth a bit, Mandrake suddenly pointed his staff at the king. Dangerous green light surrounded the ‘M’ at the end of it, and Baldwin let out a squeak of fear, clenching his eyes shut.

 _“Don’t you play dumb with me you no-good little-!”_ He started to cough again, but only for a couple seconds. However, once he stopped coughing, he instead gave a long yawn, and the light around his staff quickly fizzled out. “For Glorn’s sake, why can’t I ever… Back in my day magic staffs of evil didn’t always take up so much energy to use…”

As Mandrake continued to grumble under his breath, Baldwin opened his eyes and held back a sigh of relief. Okay, maybe he wasn’t going to get destroyed to day. But, that didn’t guarantee that he would be leaving his ‘prison’ anytime soon…

“Alright!” the old villain said suddenly, making the king flinch, “Listen up, sonny-boy! And don’t you- _*cough*_ Don’t you be tryin’ anything funny! Cause you and I both know that you’re tryin’ to be Starbella’s new fella!”

Had he not been tied up and sitting in a chair, he might have just fainted right then and there. “W-What?! I, I don’t-! I-I’m not-!”

 _“Don’t try to deny it!”_ Mandrake retorted, pointing a long, clawed finger at him, “I may be a retired conqueror, but-  _*gasp, gak*_  B-But I’ve still got my robots to keep me up on current events! And they’ve seen Starbella’s ship on Sherblorg 7 several times these past few months! Ever since that Dominator girl left and all the planets have been growin’ back! And I haven’t seen big, lord Skullface or the eyeballs or even any of the other villains tryin’ to take over your planet, so-! _*cough, wheeze*_ S-So why else would she be there?!”

“…” Honestly, the King of Sherblorg 7 couldn’t think of any excuse to give. No lie or persuasive reasoning that could convince the old villain otherwise… Mandrake might have been passed his prime, and maybe he wasn’t the strongest villain out there anymore, but he could still be sharp as a tack when he wanted to be.

“…We, we are spending time together and meeting up with each other every couple of weeks, yes… B-But we aren’t dating.”

“But you want to be goin’ steady with her, don’t you?” Mandrake asked, narrowing his eyes a bit. 

“How do you know?”

“Because she’s Starbella! Boy, if she can make even her worst enemy fall for her, than she can make any man fall for her!”

Despite the situation, Baldwin couldn’t help but smile slightly in agreement. “That’s true… She is pretty incredible.”

“Mm, yes,” Mandrake nodded, smiling a bit as well now, “And beautiful too… Which is why I can’t let you take her away from me. And don’t be give- _*wheeze, cough*_ b-be givin’ me that ‘not dating’ stuff! You’re still spending time with her, and I’m not gonna be givin’ you the chance to win her over.”

The king stared at him. “…So, you want me to tell Stella that she shouldn’t come over anymore? That I need to stop spending time with her, just so she can spend more of her time alone, which would maybe lead to you being able to see her and get the chance to convince her to be with you?”

“Mm-hm,” Mandrake nodded, casually leaning his staff towards the king, “And I think you know what’ll happen if you say no… So, what’s it gonna be?”

The king lowered his head a bit, and for several seconds, he sat there and thought… And, when he finally had his answered, he sat up straight, put on the bravest face he could muster, and said just one word: “No.”

Mandrake blinked. “…Huh?” Holding a breath, Baldwin scowled at him, letting him clearly know that he wasn’t going to change his mind. But in return, Mandrake just gave him a flat look as he raised a hand towards his ear. “No, really, what was that? Darn hearing-aid, just-” He fiddled with it for a second before looking back at the king. “Ah, there we go… So, what-?”

“I said, no.”

 _“Whaaaaat?!”_ Mandrake gritted his false teeth as he squeezed his staff. Instinctively, all the robots took a step forward towards the king. But, as afraid as he was, Baldwin didn’t let his words falter. After all, it was possibly his final act…

“I don’t want to stop seeing Stella, and I’m not going to! And, and not just because I’m in love with her! And honestly, it doesn’t matter if you’re in love with her either! Because based on what I’ve seen, she’s not in love with either of us, or anyone really… But what she _does_ want are friends, and people to just have a nice time with! And so, I’m- I’m going to be that friend for her and keep spending time with her, whether you like it or not!”

There was a long silence between the two of them, their eye contact never breaking, all while the robots turned to look at each other, silently wondering what was going to happen next… Finally, Mandrake’s eyes softened, glancing away as the old villain let out a raspy sigh.

“Hmph, if that’s how you are… no wonder she likes being around you…” 

He could remember back in their younger days, how it was the excitement that always brought the two of them back towards each other. Their own little passionate rivalry… Some people might have even called parts of it flirting. But, even after all the fights and adventures and excitement, one thing still remained: He was a villain and Starbella was a hero, and a very independent hero at that.

But… He supposed that even independent, action-loving, heroic women still wanted to eventually move into a more relaxed part of life, and be with people that weren’t necessarily exciting or challenging, but nice and supportive… And, deep in his old heart, Mandrake knew he wouldn’t- _couldn’t_ be that person for her, no matter how much he wanted to be.

“…Um, so…?” He glanced up at the king, who looked like he wasn’t really sure how to finish his question. Thankfully, Mandrake had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to ask.

“Yeah yeah, you can go… _for now_.” Maybe there was no reason to continue this plan, and honestly he didn’t have enough energy (neither physical nor emotional) to start up another. But even so, he was still an evil villain, and he had no intent on changing now! “Maybe I can’t threaten you, but I can still try to win over the hand of Starbella in other ways! At the very least, I can come back stronger and try to take- _*cough, gag*_ to take- _*wheeze, cough cough*_ t-take your plane- _*cough cough, wheeze, cough*_ ”

Despite his threat going unfinished, Mandrake still managed to gesture his robots towards the king, deciding that he got the message. Within seconds, the king’s head was once again covered with a laundry bag, much to his dismay. But, if there was any consolation, he could also feel his ropes being untied. 

()()()()()()()()()()

“Ah, there! Heh, looks like you have to king me again, King.” She smirked slightly, playfully. “…Hmm, if I didn’t know any better, I’d almost say that you were letting me win.”

Baldwin chuckled. “Oh don’t worry, I’m not,” he said as he shifted his body slightly, the way-too-big sweater Stella had made for him (since some of the regrown planets had been having strange weather patterns and she wanted him to be prepared) almost acting like a pillow, “I’m just not very good at this game. But, hey, at least I’m getting better at rummy!”

Stella smiled back at him, nodding. “You are, and maybe once you start beating me at it, I can teach you how to play Cuttle next. You can never know too many card games, after all.” “Sounds like a good idea to me!

Stella hadn’t heard about the king’s brief kidnapping, and Baldwin didn’t make any attempt to tell her about it. It had happened weeks ago, so there didn’t seem much point in it, plus he didn’t want the story to lead to any awkward questions or forced confessions…

He had meant what he had said to Mandrake, and he still meant it, even when his eyes admired Stella or when his heart thumped excitedly whenever she was really close to him. Whenever she gave him a gift or told a story, the excitement in her eyes and the pride in her voice as she recalled it all. 

There was no denying it, the King of Sherblorg 7 was in love with her… But there were multiple ways to love someone. And, as long as he could still be around her and love her in at least one way that was expected, he knew he would be fine.

He smiled at her, hardly paying attention to the board even though it was his turn to move. But the elder heroine didn’t seem to mind much, and matched his gaze without hesitation…

_“Um, Miss Star- Er, I mean, Stella?”_

_“Yes?”_

_“I, well… Now that the Galaxy is safe, you’ll probably be heading out soon. But I was just wondering…”_

“Stella,” Baldwin said suddenly, his voice quiet yet strong. 

“Yes?” she asked, her warm smile growing a bit.

_“…Would you like to visit Sherblorg sometime? I, I’m not sure how much of it has grown back by now, and it may take some time to repair the castle but, if you ever wanted to come over just for an afternoon-”_

“…Thank you for accepting the invitation,” he told her, his words simple yet genuine, before scooting just an inch or two closer to her.

_“Of course! I would love to!” “I- Wait, really?!” “Well, I can’t really think of a reason not to! And-”_

“Thank you for inviting me in the first place, dearie,” Stella replied, lightly touching his wrist. 

_“-being with company as sweet as you would just make the visit even better!”_

They stayed near each other, even when their attentions eventually were turned back to one of their games or to a story that they were trying to remember the details of. Words were exchanged, another date was set up - Stella even suggested that maybe Baldwin could come visit her on her ship next time, all while hoping that Mittens wouldn’t be in one of his moods that day so that all three of them could spend some time together. The king had absolutely no objections to the idea, and even when their afternoon drew to an end far too quickly, their warm smiles that they exchanged with each other never faltered.

It really didn’t get any better than this.

**THE END**


End file.
